Series Summary:

How do we balance “Immediately” with waiting on the Lord? After centuries of waiting for a Messiah and Jesus waiting 30 years in obscure living, Mark portrays Jesus coming on the scene with urgency as a servant. Mark uses the word immediately over 40 times! He traveled with Paul, Barnabas, and Peter. He failed and was restored. Now, he is writing about Jesus through the apostle Peter’s first hand account. Mark asks us to consider who Jesus really is. Will we surrender and follow with a sense of urgency as we wait for the return of Jesus Christ the son of Man and son of God?

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Starter

What is something that you thought in the beginning you could do quickly, but it took much longer to fully accomplish? Why?

Pray

Study Questions

READ: Mark 1

  1. In the beginning of Mark’s account of Jesus’ first coming and ministry, what does he clarify right out of the gate in the first verse?
  2. Who and what does he use to back up his beginning verse 1 claim? (Mark 1:2-3)

READ: Isaiah 40:1-5, Malachi 3:1

  1. Mark was writing primarily to a non-Jewish audience. Yet, he has them read accepted Old Testament scriptures as a starting point. How is this a great example to us as we are sharing with others about who Jesus is?
  2. “John came”… What was John the Baptist doing and saying? (Mark 1:4-8)
  3. What is the significance of Mark mentioning John’s outfit and diet? (see: 2 Kings 1:8)
  4. What were the people doing who were coming to John? (Mark 1:4-8)
  5. What did Jesus come for John to do? Why? (Mark 1:9-11)
    1. How is Jesus’ adult baptism before he started his public ministry a simple example for us?

During this time, baptism was a normal thing for non-Jewish converts to do as a cleansing ritual. However, it was not done in the “dirty” Jordan river by a prophet for forgiveness of sins by circumcised Jews. All of this was very unusual. It was so unusual that John even became known as the John the “Baptizer”.

  1. They were mostly Jewish people coming to John. How is what the Jewish people were doing an example to people today who say they believe in God?
  2. How can Baptism help us to explain the gospel about Jesus?
  3. How can the practice and example of John and Jesus here in Mark 1 help us to stand behind our practice of believers baptism instead of covenant infant baptism?
  4. What did Jesus come to do and say? (Mark 1:14-15)
    1. What did Jesus tell us as believers to keep doing and saying? (see: Matthew 28:18-20)